I See You In My Dreams
by Lunamaris321
Summary: Sequel to Sweet Sixteen Numair, Daine, and Alanna are back at the Palace, but Numair is having recurring nightmares and does something rather stupid. He can only hope that Alanna won't rip him to pieces. Again, DN with no fluff. Sticks with Tamora's plot


A/N: I know I just posted Sweet Sixteen, but I had this one all written and so I decided to go ahead and put it up. Like Sweet Sixteen, it takes place after the prologue and before the first chapter of Realms of the Gods. Come to think of it, it's sort of a sequel to Sweet. Same three characters, same time frame, continuing the same storyline, etc. Please review!

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, the place, or anything else that you recognize. I suppose that, technically, I could own the bandits if I wanted to but I hate them. So there.

I See You In My Dreams

He watched Daine canter Cloud ahead into the sunset, the girl's hair streaming behind her. He would have loved to catch up, he thought wistfully, had he not been a bit worried (though he never would've admitted it, especially not to Daine) about falling off. No matter how Daine tried to help him feel comfortable on a horse, it didn't work. Which meant that he trailed behind at a leisurely pace. After all, there was no particular need for hurry.

"Coming, Numair?" Daine yelled behind her, smiling. She looked so radiant, reflected Numair. And he loved her so much.

"Wait up," he called ahead. Daine slowed Cloud to a walk until her teacher had trotted up beside her.

They walked along together, content to be silent in the warm evening air. Content with the peace that reigned.

Until, suddenly, the mage felt the hair on his neck stand straight up. "DOWN!" He yelled, throwing himself on top of Daine. She tumbled out of the saddle and onto the grass. One glance at her told Numair that she was in no condition to fight, so he faced their attackers alone.

It was straightforward enough. There were only three scruffy-looking men, and they clearly had no idea who they had just ambushed. No sane bandit party would have taken on a black-robe knowingly without plenty of magical back up. Not wanting to waste time, Numair blasted them with raw power, watching coldly as they disappeared in a burst of black fire.

He stood there, transfixed, until a small moan from the grass brought his attention back to reality. "Numair?"

He turned and dropped to his knees beside Daine, who lay crumpled in a heap. An arrow stuck out of her side, and her blouse was already stained red with blood. Numair could tell just by the amount of blood that the wound was serious.

"It hurts," Daine whimpered softly, turning her head slightly to face him.

"I know, magelet," he crooned, trying to keep the panic out of his voice. "But you'll be fine, I promise. I'm sending for Alanna now. She'll come and heal you, and you'll be back on your feet in no time." Cradling Daine's head with one hand, he used the other to set up a speaking spell.

"Numair, what is it?" Alanna's tone was worried, although the spell didn't allow him to see her face.

"We were attacked by bandits. I disposed of them, but Daine was hit in the side by an arrow. We're a few hours out the south road, but I need you here quicker than that."

"I'll be there as soon as I can. Can you be seen from the road?" The knight's voice was tense now.

"We're right next to it. Should I try to move her?"

"No, there won't be houses for miles. Send up a signal if you have the strength. And don't take the arrow out – unless you think it's poisoned? If it is, take it out and them apply pressure to the wound. Your tunic should do the job best."

Quickly he used his Gift to confirm. "No, it's not poisoned. Come as quick as you can." He cut the spell. The faster a powerful healer came, the better.

Careful of her wound, Numair pulled his student into his lap. He had a confession to make, and better now than later. Taking a deep breath, he opened his mouth. "Daine, I – I love you."

Her eyes lit up. "Really?" she asked feebly.

"More than anything in the whole world."

"I love you too, Numair…" Daine's voice drifted away as her eyes closed again.

He stifled a sob, eyes filling with tears. Crying wouldn't help Daine. He had to keep talking until Alanna came, or he would lose control. "Magelet, I think I have loved you from the day I met you, when you saved my life. I can't even tell you how much you mean to me. And I know that you're too young, and maybe you don't feel the same way, but you are the only person I can honestly see myself marrying. I should have told you a thousand times how much I love you." Her breathing was slowing. _Goddess, Daine, don't die on me. I won't _let_ you die. _"You saved my life and now you are my life. I have never met anyone like you, with your spirit, your courage, your intelligence, your sense of right and wrong, even your stubbornness. _I love you._"

But even as he spoke these last words with such fervor, Daine drew a shuddering breath and lay still. She was limp in his arms.

"No!" He cried, letting the unshed tears fall onto her face. Any moment now, she would take another breath. Any moment –

But Daine's chest refused to rise.

He couldn't bear the pain in his chest. She was gone. His student, his friend, his savior, his love – Daine was all of them. She was his magelet. And he would never again see her smile at him, watch her face light up, hear her tell him what an eagle had to say. Never again…

Numair sat bolt upright in bed to find himself drenched in sweat and tangled in the blankets. It had only been a dream. A nightmare, to be sure, and one he'd had repeatedly, but still only a dream. Daine was fine; she was asleep in her own room; she wasn't dead. There were no bandits or fallen tears on her still face.

He had to know for sure.

Quickly – and quietly – Numair drew on his dressing gown and slippers, taking deep breaths to calm himself. He slipped out into the hallway, acutely conscious of the creaky old door. After three and a half years, he knew the way to Daine's room by heart. Even in the dark he could navigate easily. And he happened to know that she left her door cracked for the People to come in. Numair himself had placed the protective spells so no humans could enter, which meant that he was one of the few two-leggers with a key. He let himself in.

She looked so peaceful in sleep, Numair reflected. No wars to fight, no lessons to learn. He wondered if the real Daine loved him back. Just because the dream Daine had didn't mean that she did. But maybe…

Numair padded silently across to her bed, leaned down, and kissed her softly on the lips. Daine murmured a bit but didn't wake. Numair relaxed and made his way around to the other side of the double-size bed, where he lowered himself onto it. The four cats there moved aside to give him room. Tentatively he placed an arm around his magelet, tensing when he felt her move. Daine stirred and stretched but remained asleep.

"I love you, magelet. I see you in my dreams," he whispered.

He could never tell her when she was awake. She was sixteen, and that only barely. He was thirty. Besides, she was his student. No, he wouldn't ever be able to reveal his feelings for her. But at least he could hold her at night, under the comfortable cover of darkness. He would have to leave soon, to avoid being caught, but perhaps he could come back tomorrow night…

"Numair!" A voice hissed sharply. "What on earth do you think you're doing?"

Numair blinked awake to find that he was still in Daine's room. Was it she who had found him?

A crop of read hair swam into view above him. Not Daine then, but Alanna. Which was, in some ways, worse. At least Daine didn't carry a sword wherever she went.

"Get out of there this instant!" snapped Alanna. She grabbed Numair by the arm and pulled him roughly off the bed. He was relieved to see that at least Daine was still asleep under the covers. On the other hand, Alanna was fully awake and shaking with fury, which both amused and terrified Numair.

"Do you have an explanation? Or do you often sneak into sixteen-year-old girls' rooms uninvited in the middle of the night? You can't have been there when she fell asleep, because we talked after you left. So what's going on? If you're taking advantage of her I swear I'll – "

"It's nothing like that," Numair cut in hurriedly, not waiting for the redhead to finish her rant. He wondered briefly about lying, but any story would be even harder to believe than the truth. As Alanna well knew, no magical experiment required a mage to fall asleep in his student's chamber. "I – I had a nightmare." He blushed as he said it, knowing it sounded stupid.

Sure enough, Alanna was sarcastic. "You had a nightmare. And the poor baby black-robe mage needed someone to comfort him and sing him to sleep?" Then she noticed the blush. A look of wonder came over her face. "You're in love with her, aren't you." It wasn't a question.

Numair shook his head, almost pleading. "I can't be in love with her. She's my student. I just had a bad dream, that's all." He tried futilely to convince himself that that was it, that he was only sleep-deprived. Which he was. But he had known the whole truth since Midwinter. "I wanted to make sure she was okay."

"Because you're in love with her. I'm not stupid, Numair," Alanna shook her head. "If you wanted a woman, you'd get together with one of those – what is it now, four? – women hankering after you. I know, Numair, even if you don't."

Numair shook with – rage? Fear? He didn't know. "I'm not that man anymore, Alanna. I couldn't play with a woman and certainly not with Daine."

"I know you wouldn't," Alanna's tone became soft and thoughtful, "and I know why, as well. It's because of Daine. All those signs – hitting Ozorne in Carthak, refusing to eat when she had unicorn fever, the little things like that. All signs of love, and I didn't even notice. How long have you known?"

"Since Midwinter," whispered Numair, eyes staring into the distance. "What should I do?"

"Well, you could tell her, or you could not tell her. It's up to you."

"I can't tell her! I'm nearly twice her age. If I told her, she'd feel like she had to make a decision. I'd lose her as a friend. She wouldn't feel like she was able to trust me anymore. Better to just be friends, and teacher and student." His voice broke.

"That may work now, but it won't work in the long run. Love can only be bottled up so long," Alanna said practically. Numair remained silent. "Very well. A hint- if you really don't want her to know, it would be wise not to sneak into her room at night, and definitely don't fall asleep on her bed. You're just lucky that I was the one who caught you. If it had been a servant, gossip would be all over the palace by now."

"I know," Numair squared his shoulders. "Thank you, Alanna."

"Piffle. I did nothing to be thanked for."

"You could've had the Guard in here. Or simply stabbed me with your sword. Instead, you listened and _believed_ me. You didn't just take me for some pervert who likes pretty girls. That's a lot, Alanna."

"You're my friend, Numair. I think I know you well enough to realize that you're not just 'some pervert'. Before this morning I knew you loved Daine, but I thought it was a brother-sister kind of love." _At least she didn't say father-daughter, _Numair thought tiredly. Alanna continued. "Honestly, this doesn't change much. I know well enough that you can conceal your emotions. Except perhaps your temper," Alanna smiled, then squeezed his hand and left.

Numair stood there, in the hall outside his magelet's room, thinking. He wouldn't try _that_ again, of that he was certain. But the mage still counted himself lucky that Alanna hadn't torn himself limb from limb. Or worse, woken Daine.

As if on cue, the door opened and a sleep-tousled girl came out. Her curls tumbled around her face, and her nightdress looked distinctly rumpled.

"Morning, Numair! What're you doing here?" Daine exclaimed blearily.

"Long story. Sleep well?" he replied, hastily changing the subject. He tugged at his hair, knowing that it must be sticking up oddly.

Daine stopped his fingers with a look and went back into her room. When she emerged, a small comb was in her hand. The girl proceeded to reach up and run the comb through her teacher's coal-black mane of hair.

"Ouch!' Numair bit his lip, stifling the urge to yell an oath.

"Well, maybe if you brushed it more," she grumbled, but her hands were more gentle.

_Imagine if a stranger came along just now,_ Numair thought suddenly. _What would they see?_ It was obvious, really: someone who didn't know both of them would assume that they were lovers, or courting, or something of the sort. Rumors had circulated around the pair at first, but – helped perhaps buy their friends' hands on swords and gentle reminders – they had soon died down. _Another reason why I can't love Daine. Think of the gossip she'd be exposed to! And it'd ruin her reputation…_

He would have to hide his real feelings, but at least he could spend time with his love. Things could be worse.

A/N: What do you think? PLEASE REVIEW! I need to know! It only takes a minute. If you review I promise to go read at least one of your stories and review. On my honor.


End file.
